As bad as the air quality may be outside your home, it can be even worse inside. The federal EPA estimates that indoor pollutant levels may be as much as two to five times higher than outdoors, which can pose a risk to your health and comfort. While there are a number of ways you can help to clean your indoor air, one of the easiest and most effective is by placing any or all of the following houseplants in your home, and letting nature do the work for you:
- Spider plant. This ultra-resilient plant works hard to combat the effects of benzene, xylene, carbon monoxide and formaldehyde, by removing them from your indoor air.
- Aloe vera. This succulent plant is great to keep on hand for burns or cuts, but in the meantime it will help clear the air of benzene and formaldehyde, both of which are found in paints and common household cleaners.
- Weeping fig. This pretty tree with the bright green leaves is a bit more finicky than other houseplants, and may require some experimentation with light and water levels before you get them right. Once you do, you’ll be rewarded as it helps to filter out volatile organic compounds (VOCs) commonly associated with furniture or carpets, such as trichloroethylene, benzene and formaldehyde.
- English ivy. Place this ivy in the bathroom, where it’s known to reduce the amount of airborne fecal matter particles, in addition to the formaldehyde found in many household cleaners.
- Bamboo palm. Low light requirements and easy care make this plant a breeze to maintain. Try placing it near furniture to help filter trichloroethylene, benzene and the formaldehyde that may be emanating from your chair or sofa.
- Chinese evergreen. The benefits of this easy-to-care-for plant grow over time, as it can adapt to filter different types of toxins to help purify your indoor air.
For more information on how houseplants or other air cleaners can help improve your indoor air quality, call our experts at Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning, proudly serving homeowners in Fresno and the surrounding area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Fresno, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about nature’s air purifiers and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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